On "Sunday Morning" and " The Emperor of Ice-Cream."

Today we reflected on some of the characteristics of modernism. One of these characteristics is that fact that modernism is noteworthy for its fragments and lack of explanation. According to the introductions, “its elements may be drawn from disparate areas of experience. The effect may be shocking and unsettling; the experience of reading will be challenging and difficult.” (p.664)

                        Yeah. I would say that’s about right.

I was rather confused reading these poems the first time through. However, after one better understands modernism, these poems become somewhat easier to construct meaning from. The introduction states that modernism conveys that “truth” cannot exist objectively. (p.665) Instead, truth is the product of the mind’s interaction with reality. Modernism moves away from traditional beliefs and ways of thinking.  I can see this theme in Wallace Steven’s poems” Sunday Morning” and “The Emperor of Ice-Cream.”

As we discussed in class Sunday Morning emphasizes the importance of the natural world through a poetic persona.  The lady in this poem decides that she can find pleasure and fulfillment not from a “dead” religion, but from pleasures and nature of the earth.  She also thinks that death is beautiful as it facilitates change. Stevens didn’t think that Christianity was powerful and his poems express this belief. Through his poems, the reader can see his search for fulfillment and the meaning of life. He is conveying what his description of truth is, although it will not be the same for everybod

Moving on to “The Emperor of Ice-Cream.”  I found this poem incredibly confusing. However, after better understanding “Sunday Morning,” I can somewhat better understand this poem. In this poem, people are gathering for a woman’s funeral. But instead of mourning her loss, they are making ice-cream; it’s almost as if they feel no sadness for the deceased. Instead, they celebrate.  This is in accordance to Steven’s belief he conveyed in the previous poem: nature is made greater because of the fact that one day we will be removed from it. The attendants don’t mourn death because they feel it is the natural process. They find enjoyment in every moment, fully embracing the changes the world offers.  Once again, I think Stevens is conveying his perception of truth by emphasizing the importance of pleasure in the natural world.